WILSON PICKETT – Chocolate Mountain (Henry Stone Records) – LP – Vinyl

LP -Black Vinyl.

Wilson Pickett was quite simply one of the great soul singers. Pickett’s phenomenal gospel-honed voice and involvement in his best songs marked him down as a major soul performer and even as late as the mid-70’s, a producer as astute as Brad Shapiro was not likely to take too many musical liberties when ‘updating’ Wicked Pickett. This 1976 album, recorded at Sound Shops Studio in Nashville, featurees the two R&B single hits : “The Best Part of A Man” and “Love Will Keep Us Together“. This success prompted this 10-track Chocolate Mountain album.Shapiro chose a musical ‘sound’ to tie in with the more funky demands of the mid-70’s but Pickett’s voice and approach to a lyric never really changed. Swampy and bluesy with plenty of ‘rap’ from Pickett or more gospel oriented funcky tracks, Pickett works the lyrics like the soul veteran he already was by 1976 and the quality of these excellent songs for all to enjoy.

Tracklist:

Side A
1. I’m Gonna Do It All Over
2. Let Me Know
3. The Best Part Of A Man
4. Love Will Keep Us Together
5. Sweetwater Jail

Side B
1. It’s Gonna Be Good
2. I’m Changed
3. How Will I Ever Know
4. That Woman
5. Are You Ready